


Falling with Hazy Hearts

by WonderBoy



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Attempted Fluff, F/M, fantasy aspects, trolls aren't human but not exactly trolls either
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 14:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4183467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderBoy/pseuds/WonderBoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your name is Jake English and as a professional adventurer/explorer who is occasionally hired by the royal family to help with especially dire situations, you like to think there is not much that can catch you off guard.</p><p>Apparently a runaway princes quite literally falling into your lap however does not fall under that category. In fact it should be filed into the “You-Probably-Freaked-Out-More-Than-Entirely-Necessary” category. Your best bro probably would have made fun of you for the act but he’s not here so you’re safe, for now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling with Hazy Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> A friend requested a little something for their OTP and I am terribly afraid I did not do it any justice whatsoever especially considering I do not actively ship these two but I tried my best for a first attempt and hopefully the dignity of her favorite characters has not been totally destroyed by this nonsense.

\--> Your name is Jake English and as a professional adventurer/explorer who is occasionally hired by the royal family to help with especially dire situations, you like to think there is not much that can catch you off guard.

Apparently a runaway princes quite literally falling into your lap however does not fall under that category. In fact it should be filed into the “You-Probably-Freaked-Out-More-Than-Entirely-Necessary” category. Your best bro probably would have made fun of you for the act but he’s not here so you’re safe, for now.

Though you believe to have managed to control your facial expression back into something cool and collected, you still feel the slightest tug of panic inside. And you’re not quite sure if it’s because suddenly there is a runaway princess in your lap or because suddenly there is a pretty young lady in your lap. And either way she seems quite comfortable there, despite the rising blush to her cheeks.

As the shock begins to fade, you can hear shouting from the other patrons of tavern you’re in. You’re not alone with a pretty, runaway princess in your lap. Right. This was worse than you thought.

It’s about when you start trying to come up with an escape route for you and the princess that the said princess starts laughing, wrapping one arm around your neck to keep herself upright while she turns around to talk with those around you. You can smell the mead on her breath, and the spiced sugar pastry the fae who own the tavern are known for. Which, conveniently, was also alcoholic.

This was so much worse than you thought.

\-->Your name is Jane Crocker and as the heiress to the kingdom you are quite aware than your current behavior is completely improper. As the drunken, runaway heiress in disguise, you don’t really care either way.

You are fairly certain your not-quite-hired escort did not intend to leave you unattended in a strange tavern to get inconceivably inebriated. Or at least you would be if you were thinking straight. As it is you’re focusing a little more than you should on how attractive he looks, features emphasized by firelight, hair mused by his own calloused hands from thinking a little too hard. You are so unbelievably thankful for the help he’s provided thus far. He did not sign up to be the babysitter of a princess who had never left her castle before but he had no arguments when the two of you found each other three days after you fled the only home you had ever known. And he was taking on all the responsibilities of your trip, considering you are completely clueless in this unfamiliar world, without complaint.

You had met Mr. English, traveling and excavating extraordinaire, a few times before when he was hired by your father to find something or someone for the kingdom but you had never expected to know him well, you certainly didn’t think to befriend him. Now you question if there’s anyone else in your life you trust more. Though you suppose spending three weeks in life and death situations while in disguise with someone could do that to a relationship.

When the castle had been attacked and your father told you and your younger brother to flee, you had no idea what to expect with the outside world or what to do if you even made it that far. You also hadn’t expected to be separated from your brother but by the time you realized the two of you were no longer together you had already been running through the woods for what felt like an hour, if not more. The only thing that kept you going at the time was that the two of you had fled the castle with a knight, your brother’s closest friend, who you knew would keep your brother safe. And considering the knight had a family well respected by your own, you hoped if you could find a way to their estate you would be reunited with your brother and someone who could help.

Mr. English- _Jake_ , you had been instructed to call him _Jake_ while in disguise-found you three days after the attack, just as dehydration and possibly starvation were starting to get to you. The two of you had been together ever since. You had been traveling in a pretty even pattern, on what you believed to be a consistent, straightforward path, when Mr. English caught scent of a tail and the two of you went off road to try and shake it. The two of you ended up in the tavern you are currently getting drunk in just as night fell.

You and your father were both big fans of sweets but you had never had any type of fae cuisine before. You’d also never had anything remotely alcoholic before. When other patrons in the tavern had started offering you food you had no idea what to expect, and considering Mr. English was distracted, you were gone before you had the chance to stop. Now situated in his surprisingly comfortable lap, part of you thankfully, had the decency to be embarrassed as the fae and human patrons alike hooted and hollered at your bold move. _Jake_ , the name always sent butterflies to your stomach though you had only ever used it aloud once before, had told the mistress that the two of you were married and that _was_ your cover but you had never actually been this close to a man you weren’t related to. It was a thrilling though slightly humbling sensation.

It also looked as if Jake was starting to blush which made this all the more exciting.

\-->Your name is Jake English and even when aware that you were traveling with a very sheltered princess, you were unprepared for how much she would need you to watch after her.

In fact you very nearly had to fight off the fae trying to give her another cup of mead, as she was ready to accept it with open arms and a friendly smile, which was not an easy feat with a lap full of drunken, giggling princess.

Jane pouts as the glass is taken away but surprisingly she doesn’t argue. You’re thankful for this until she readjusts herself to lay her head against your shoulder. You can feel her shallow, relaxed breath against your neck and it is getting progressively warmer inside the tavern. Some of her unruly black hair tickles your cheek and it’s such a charmingly familiar sensation you have to fight a smile. Now is not the time to get lost in the charms of a princess.

“Janey, dear,” You try to sound as casual as possible in the crowded area but you hear your voice catch as you speak. If Jane notices she doesn’t make any indication. “don’t you think now is a, uh a right good time to be going to bed? We have a big, exciting day ahead of us tomorrow full of-”

Jane mumbles something against the skin of your neck, stopping your words.

“I’m terribly sorry what was that, Jane?” The sounded awkward and forced, even to your own ears. You just had to hope those around you had lost interest in the two of you once Jane stopped drinking and were no longer listening.

“You are so nice, so good.” Jane’s words are slurred but you can still understand her speech well enough. With her free hand Jane starts to trace unfamiliar patterns on your shirt. “Didn’t have to help me,” She continues. She keeps talking, you can feel her lips moving against your skin, but she progressively gets quieter until there is no way for you to hear her, even pressed against each other as you are.

“Would you like me to show you to your room?” You look away from the mumbling heiress to see the mistress of the tavern standing before you. She’s a fae, and as is common with their kind her skin is greyer than anything you have ever seen on a human and tinged a dark green. Her short black hair is kept in a neat bob around her slim, kind face.

With less struggle than anticipated, you manage to get Jane to her feet. She sways unsteadily and has to lean most of her weight on you for support but she’s staying upright. On the downside she’s starting to giggle again but if you’re lucky she’ll conk out as soon as her head hits the pillow upstairs and all will be alright. Though getting her up the stairs will surely prove to be quite a challenge.

With a kind smile the fae leads the two of you away from the table, weaving through the heavy crowd with ease. She stops at the bottom of the stairs to wait for the two of you. While you struggle through the crowd, trying to keep Jane from accepting more offers of food or drink as you do so, a second fae joins the mistress at the bottom of the stairs. This fae has red undertones to their skin, making them possibly the most human looking fae you’ve ever seen. However their face is gaunt and dark circles underline their eyes in heavy black as if they have not slept for many days. You cannot understand what is being said but the red-blooded fae is obviously distressed and just as you reach the stairs, the mistress of the tavern reaches out a hand to tame the fae’s unruly hair and calm him down. You try to give them as much privacy as possible, aware from your slight study of fae culture that such moments are considered quite intimate but you can only be tolerant of so much with Jane as she is.

Thankfully the mistress seems to understand this as not long after she sends the red-blooded fae away and gestures for you to continue following her.

The stairs take twenty minutes at best and by the time you reach the top Jane has surpassed giggling and gone straight for chortling, tears streaming down her face. Thankfully the mistress didn’t seem to mind, even when Jane stopped short halfway down the hall and gasped.

“Taking me to bed, Mr. English?” Jane said behind her hand, her scandalized tone making her voice rise in volume. “So forward of you.”

If only the mistress had been conveniently deaf in both ears to save you the embarrassment of having a stranger hear Jane. Still, for the most part, she paid the two of you no mind, even when she opened the bedroom door for the two of you and Jane all but face-planted on the wooden floor, the only reason you didn’t follow her down was by miraculously managing to grab onto the door frame.

“Have a good evening.” The mistress helped you pull Jane to her feet before she turned to return downstairs.

Jane gave a small way before she stumbled, unaided, the rest of the way into the room. Quite ungracefully she flopped onto the bed, burying her face into a pillow and groaning. You did your best to remove Jane’s shoes as she stretched.

“Been s’long since bed.” Jane sighed into the pillow. You tried not to wince at her words. You were so used to your lifestyle, you hadn’t thought of how it would affect a princess who had never spent a day outside of her cushioned home. Even a plain bed the tavern provided was probably much more comfortable than the earth and flattened cots you had provided to Jane as bedding for the past three or so weeks. Still, Jane had hardly complained, making it even easier to forget.

When you finally finished removing Jane’s shoes and placing them neatly on the floor, she had been quiet and still for quite a few minutes. Assuming you had been right in your guess that she would fall quickly asleep you start to leave, only to be stopped by the quiet whisper of your name in the dark of the room.

“Jake,” Jane repeats when you turn around to see if perhaps you had imagined the call. “would you stay here with me, please?” Any resolve you had to deny the princess her request crumbled when her voice broke at the end of her sentence. You always did have a weak spot for a crying maiden.

Hesitantly you return to the side of the bed and you sense no second-guessing in her actions as Jane scoots over to give you more room. Still you hesitate until you feel the gentle tug of her hand on your own.

“Please?” she repeats.  

Slipping off your shoes and jacket, you climb into the small bed and make yourself comfortable with the generous amount of space Jane has left for you. Once you lie still, Jane scoots closer, pressing her side intimately against your own and laying her head on your chest.

“Thank you.” She whispers, intertwining your hands. “Thank you for everything.”

Without anything to say, you press a kiss to the top of her head and rub soothing circles against her back until the princess is fast asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> There is a lot of background story and worldly stuff going on in this piece that I had not intended to have. Maybe I'll make it a series and add random one shots like this about different characters. Who knows?
> 
> Did the troll-fae stuff make even a little bit of sense? I tried. I have no idea where I pulled this idea from so I suppose it makes sense if it didn't....


End file.
